syncope (n.)

c. 1300 (mid-12c. in surnames), "small axe with a short handle," designed to be used by one hand, from Old French hachete "small combat-axe, hatchet," diminutive of hache "axe, battle-axe, pickaxe," possibly from Frankish *happja or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *hapjo- (source also of Old High German happa "sickle, scythe").

This is perhaps from PIE root *kop- "to beat, strike" (source also of Greek kopis "knife," koptein "to strike, smite," komma "piece cut off;" Lithuanian kaplys "hatchet," kapti, kapiu "to hew, fell;" Old Church Slavonic skopiti "castrate," Russian kopat' "to hack, hew, dig;" Albanian kep "to hew").

Hatchet-face in reference to one with sharp and prominent features is from 1650s. In Middle English, hatch itself was used in a sense "battle-axe." In 14c., hang up (one's) hatchet meant "stop what one is doing." Phrase bury the hatchet "lay aside instruments of war, forget injuries and make peace" (1754) is from a Native American custom to conclude a peace-making, is described from 1680 (bury a tomahawk is by 1705). Hatchet-man was originally California slang for "hired Chinese assassin" (1880), later extended figuratively to journalists who attacked the reputation of a public figure (1944).

[act of striking] c. 1300, "blow delivered with a weapon, paw, or hand," probably from an unrecorded Old English *strac, from Proto-Germanic *straik- (source also of Middle Low German strek, German streich, Gothic striks "stroke"); see stroke (v.).

The meaning "mark of a pen" is from 1560s; that of "a striking of a clock" is from mid-15c. By mid-14c. of a crash of thunder. Of the heart's beating, by early 15c.

The general sense of "a sweeping movement of a sustained object" is by 1610s. In reference to a single pull of an oar, by 1580s; by 1731 in reference to a single movement of machinery. Of a single arm-motion in swimming, by 1800. It also is used figuratively to suggest having been made by a sweeping movement.

The meaning "apoplectic seizure" is from 1590s (originally stroke of God's hand); the notion in this sense is "sudden or special effect produced upon an object," which was particularly applied to God's chastisements or judgments.

The sense of "feat, achievement, effective action" (as in stroke of luck, 1853) is by 1670s. In some senses the English word is perhaps influenced by French coup.